Looking good, Jim!
It's exciting, isn't it? I hope you'll use this Thread to keep us updated on the season's progress.
I really enjoy following everyone's pepper journey. It helps the newcomers gain confidence, as well.

So, tell us which varieties you're growing here?

Josh

The varities will be boring to the long time growers, but like I said, I am pretty new to growing peppers.

NuMex Heritage Big Jim
NuMex Conquistador
NuMex Heritage 6-4
NuMex Joe E. Parker
NuMex Jalmundo
NuMex Primavera
NuMex Suave Red and Suave Orange
NuMex Sunrise, Sunset, Eclipse
NuMex Sweet
NuMex Twilight
NuMex R. Naky
California Wonder
Floral Gem
Mulato
Takanotsume
Tabasco
Aji Limon
Orange Habanero
Datil
Serrano
Jalapeno
Sweet Mini-Peppers -- seeds taken from store bought peppers

Well...such as it is, that's what I've got. I am hoping to determine which ones I like the best, and eliminate others. Many of the Numex green chiles are probably quite similar. But since I haven't eaten any of them, I thought I'd get a good selection.

I have a 2,000+ square-feet garden space with an adjacent well to irrigate with. I put several thousand pounds of manure on the garden in January and tilled it in. Since then it has rained relentlessly and snowed a foot or so - long since melted. So, the gound should be in great shape come May.

I have great expectations...

I made this simple light stand with 1" x 2" boards. Works fine. Cost almost nothing to make. Maybe $5.00.

Fantastic, great ingenuity.
I added newspaper layers, leaves, bark, manure, and alfalfa pellets to my pepper plot this winter,
and I'm expecting nice, rich soil this May, as well.

You have a fine list...most I've never tried.
Some of the more common peppers are actually my favorites. Hungarian Wax was my first pepper,
and I still save a place for it in my garden. Pepper growing is all about ruling out your likes
and dislikes...and the likes of friends with whom you might share. I usually grow a Pepperoncini
just because my dad likes them. I also grow extra Thai chiles because my brother burns through them.

Tabasco is the only pepper that we're both growing, so we'll have to compare those.
Cheers!

Josh

Hey Josh,

I really want to experiment with some hotter varities. That is why I ordered the Datil, Tabasco, Orange Hab and Aji Limon.

What else are you growing? Any past photos of plants and peppers?

Thanks.

Looks like yer off to a good start. And ya got some good soil and garden space to work with come planting time.

And i like that light rig ya made. I could critique it being that im a carpenter, lol, but for 5 bucks and a little ingenuity u did just fine man.

The best pepper ever is the Carribean Red. I think its Josh's favorite too.

Jim

Jim,

Okay. I looked up the red and it is a thing of beauty. But, being new at this, I am 'afeared' of the heat. Half-a million SHU seems beyond the pale of 'good taste'.

How in the world do you cook with it, or make tasty dishes for mortal man? I love hot sauce, and want to make some with real heat. I have trouble imaging my liking a pepper with 500,000 (or close) heat-units.

Thanks!

Jim G

Hey, Jim G ;-)
Don't fall for it...the Caribbean Red ain't my favorite! Jim's just having some fun!
The Red's I grew last year were sold as Bhut's, and that's really what chapped my hide about them!
That said, they do make a mighty purty pod...and I definitely prefer them to the Orange Hab. The Red's
are incredibly hot for sure. I used them in my salsa, which my brother named "Spray the Rocks Salsa."
Last year, the best Hab for me was the Chocolate Hab (Congo Black). Totally unique pods, cool plant,
and an overwhelmingly aromatic flavor profile.

Check this Thread out...it's where I'll post this season's progress on my peppers.
There's also a link to my 2010 pepper season, and you can see pics of all the pods I grew.
I've only posted a few pics this year, though. Lots more to come!

Greenman's Peppers 2011 (pics)

Josh

Jim - I looked at your 2010 photos, and looked at your 2011 pics as well. Man - you have a lot of experience. Just so you know; photos are important to us newbies. Gives me something tangible, beyond words on a page or monitor.

I guess I just have to continue experimenting with dishes using hotter and hotter peppers. I am looking forward to the trip!

Thanks again.

Sorry - I meant to write Josh, not Jim.

" Just so you know; photos are important to us newbies."

Too true! And thanks for posting yours, Jim! I'm getting a late start, and waiting for some seeds to arrive, so it's nice to get to live vicariously through another 'newbie', lol. And I like that frame, quite ingenious.

Good luck with the season, please keep us updated!

Good looking setup there, Jim. Your plants seem to be coming along fine. Don't let the SHUs scare ya' into holding back; the only way to get to eat the bad boys is to work up to it. (Think Endorphine Rush!) lol. I still get the hiccups from a good jal, but enjoy the complexity of a greater variety of peppers. Fruity, Smokey, Sharp, Citrus... It's all there somewhere. My favorite ATM is probably the labuyo, especially roasted.. mmmm (but watch out for the flames)

Good luck with the season.
Mike

Jennq and Mike - thanks for your comments. I'm not afraid to try any of them, just not tough enough .. yet. I love to cook and experiment, and I am really looking forward to making salsas, sauces and such.

Have you ever heard of "Two Dogs Unleashed". It is a spread for sandwiches and such. The makers call it a "salish", not a salsa or a relish - a salish. It is really good, sweet and hot.

NuMex Twilight is an ornamental. Edible and hot, but the flavor is rather dul. Its a beautiful ornamental though!

My starts are coming along just fine. I don't know how many I have, somewhere around 60 I would guess. I live in SW Oregon and we are having the coldest - wettest spring since they've been keeping records. Last year we had early summer in April and winter in May. This year...last week there was a winter storm warning on a mountain pass near my house - due to a snow storm that dropped about 18 inches of new snow in two days. I suppose it will warm up someday.

Jim, they look great.

I commiserate with you....we had snow flurries at my house Thursday and Friday...
temps have been dropping to 30F overnight, as well.

Josh

Normally nights are up to 60 or 70 by now, around here. Forecast is for low 40's for another week or more. Seems like a national trend. Getting pretty darn tired of putting cloth over my peppers every night! On the other hand, the rainbow light tent it makes with the cloth draped over the christmas lights is purty!

All my peppers are doing fine, with the exception of the ones that will be orange or yellow peppers. The ones not doing well are; Datil, Orange Hab and Suave Orange. The other 22 varieties are doing great.

Nice!

Great plants! Potted nicely.

What's going on with the yellow and orange peppers?

Josh

Thanks for the comments.

I wish I knew what was happening with the colored plants. I just can't seem to get them healthy and growing. It has been the coldest spring on record, 52-degrees right now, at 10:20 a.m. on May 22nd. In the 40's at night. I guess I could try bringing them inside, but frankly, my wife is glad to have them out of the house. Okay - so I ended up with 112 starts...its like a science project you can eat.

As hot as it has been east of the Rockies, the pacific Northwest has been the opposite. I have never seen a summer this cool and pleasant. Nice as that has been, it has wrecked havoc on gardening. I lost about half of my pepper starts, planted my melons three times, and have had to nurse along every one of my plants - on the deck and in the garden. Here are some photos of the plants in containers on my deck.

Looks like most of your plants are handling the cool weather. Maybe if we share my sticky Florida weather with yours our peppers will be happy. Picky ass peppers!
Nice pics Jim.

They are finally doing well, now that it is consistently in the 80's each day. We had weeks and weeks with lows in the 40's and highs in the 60's. Wonderful for people, terrible for new plants. I lost several varities of peppers. Its all good now though. Hope it stays this way.